Introduction to IR

Welcome to POSC240-012!
This is where you will be posting 10 blogs throughout the semester; 4 blogs in September, 3 in October, & 3 in November. Your entries should tackle current events, reactions to lectures and readings, & comments & questions about the class.
Make sure you write substantial and thought-provoking entries & write your full name at the end of each post!
Start blogging!
Nick & Sara

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

You are required to write three (3) blogs in November. I posted three new topics below which relate to what we've been discussing in class. If you have a particular topic which you would like to post, don't hesitate to e-mail Nick or me and we will post it for you. Remember that any idea you would like to discuss should tackle international and foreign policy events.

Since the new topics for November were posted on November 6, we will be extending the deadline for submitting the 3 new blogs to December 6. Therefore, you will have an entire month to post your blogs. Blogs which are submitted after December 6 will not be counted. Make sure you write and post your blogs throughout the month!

Let us know if you have any question or concern and have fun blogging!

Are the various financial institutions that were created after the end of WWII (such as the World Bank, the IMF, the GATT and subsequently the WTO) a manifestation of American hegemony and economic colonialism? What are the benefits of such institutions? Do those benefits outweigh the idea that international financial institutions are nothing but mere tools in the hands of Great Powers to dominate the less-priviliged ones? Discuss.

Based on what we've been discussing in class about social constructivism, how does this approach to International Relations weaken Realism and Liberalism? How far can it explain what is happening on the world stage? Is it a better approach to IR and international soceities than Realism and Liberalism? Discuss.

We will be devoting three class sessions to the study of Political Islam, radical Islamist parties, movements, and ideologies, and Islamic terrorism in the Middle East. Feel free to post what your thoughts are on these topics and what you think are important questions which should be addressed. How should the US and the West in general tackle the rise of Islamist movements and parties? How should it conduct its war on terror? This topic is purposefully vague enough to allow for different ideas and opinions to be debated.